Canberra, 06 September 2022 Originally the Holkars were a sturdy pastoral tribe, used to living outdoors and constantly moving residence; said to have been Dhangars, they easily adapted to the life of Maratha warriors. The main Holkar family initially lived in Wafgaon in the Khed district near Pune, then moved to Hol Marum near Jejuri […]
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Tag Archives: Rohilla
The Marathas Part 20 The Prominent Feudatories of the Empire Section III: The Scindias of Gwalior
August 29, 2022 
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Canberra, 29 August 2022 The earliest mention of Scindia (also spelt Sindia, Sindhia, supposed to have been anglicised from ‘Shinde’) is found during the Bahmani rule in Deccan when a few Scindia families are reported to have risen to eminence in the service of the Sultan. The name is traced back to ‘Sendrak’ an ancient […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 18 The March to Destruction Section IV: Debilitating Disunity
July 10, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 10 July 2022 The Treaty of Salbai, although favourable to the Marathas overall, it also provided increasing power to the major leaders within the Maratha polity. Of these, the Scindia clan benefitted the most and they became a semi-autonomous royal house in their own right. Scindia in North India From the time of the […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV: The Battle of Panipat
March 18, 2022 0 Comments
THE AFTERMATH Canberra, 18 March 2022 Peshwa Balaji Rao’s Circumstances News from the North Indian expedition was slow to reach Pune. The Peshwa was sanguine under the illusion that he had provided all resources required for Sadashiv Rao Bhau to succeed in his mission. A few favourable titbits reached Pune, such as the easy victory […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV The Battle of Panipat
March 9, 2022 0 Comments
A Fateful Day Canberra, 9 March 2022 After their easy victory at Kunjpura, the Marathas camped at Pasina Kalan, anticipating that Abdali would attempt to cross River Yamuna upstream. However, the Afghans crossed the river at Bhagpat, between the Maratha camp and Delhi. Although they suffered some losses during the crossing, the entire army was […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV The Battle of Panipat
February 28, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 28 February 2022 The Inexorable March to the Debacle The army that was put together to avenge Maratha honour consisted at the core of the Peshwa’s personal soldiers who were surrounded and supported by soldiers owing allegiance to other Maratha sardars, chiefs. The total fighting strength was around 25,000. When Sadashiv Rao Bhau left […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section II The Second Phase – Coming of Age
January 23, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 23 January 2022 While the Persian adventurer Ahmad Shah Abdali was repeatedly attempting to make inroads into North India, and the French were laying the foundations upon which the English would later build their Eastern Empire, the Maratha king Shahu continued to dither as an indecisive head of the greatest power of the time […]
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Sanu Kainikara 
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